Morris Knolls has a luxury that many softball teams do not. It has two talented pitchers that coach Keith Heinemann can turn to in any situation. But on Wednesday, Kim Felix made sure Heinemann did not need to contemplate a change.

Felix fired a five-hit shutout, striking out one and walking one, to lead second seed Morris Knolls, No. 14 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to a 1-0 victory against sixth-seed Randolph in the semifinals of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 tournament yesterday in Rockaway.

After allowing a pair of two-out singles in the top of the first, Felix settled in to scatter three hits, one walk, and one hit batter the rest of the way. Morris Knolls' defense made the plays behind her, as the team committed one error and allowed only one runner to reach third base.

"Mainly, I was working really well in and out (on the plate)," the senior left-hander said. "It's really nice to know that if I miss a spot or something, the defense will be there behind me, 100 percent. They're always really strong."

Felix was locked in a pitchers' duel with Randolph's Kelly O'Neill, who matched Felix pitch for pitch. However, Morris Knolls (24-5-1) broke through for the game's only run in the fifth inning.

After a one-out single by Madi Housel, Gina Nappi hit a single to centerfield, but a pinch runner was thrown out trying to go from first to third. Nappi ended up on second base, and she then scored on an error.

Once Morris Knolls had a lead, Housel said Felix was able to focus on the final two innings and finish a strong performance.

"It just feels awesome that we can use our bats to get ahead and give our pitcher a break," Housel said. "Because Kim works really hard in the circle, and it worked out."

Housel finished 2-for-3 with a double, while Nappi went 1-for-2 with a walk and one run. Amanda Magadan went 2-for-4 for Randolph (17-10), and O'Neill allowed one unearned run on five hits over six innings. She struck out two and walked two.

Heinemann said Felix was able to mix speeds and locate her pitches to maintain the shutout, and he said the team's offense was able to focus in the fifth inning to push across the decisive run.

"In games like this, it's usually 1-0," Heinemann said. "And it comes down to who makes the mistake or who gets the big hit with two outs."